Safe At Work Ontario
Enforcement is a critical tool in promoting compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations. The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development inspectors conduct both proactive inspections and reactive investigations. A "proactive inspection" is an unannounced field visit to a workplace to ensure compliance with the Act and its regulations. A reactive investigation occurs when a workplace notifies the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development of a complaint, work refusal, critical injury or fatality.
Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development field visits (enforcement consultations, inspections, investigations)
![Bar graph comparing data for each fiscal year 2006-2007 to 2015-2016. The highest number of field visits was 101,275 in 2007-2008, and the lowest number was 70,604 in 2014-2015. Each bar is segmented to show the share of field visits that were reactive and proactive, with the greater number consistently being proactive. Refer to table below for complete data.](https://www.ontario.ca/files/2023-05/p_44.jpg)
Year | Reactive | Proactive | Data not available on a proactive / reactive basis | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
2006-07 | 22,609 | 68,120 | n/a | 90,729 |
2007-08 | 24,714 | 76,561 | n/a | 101,275 |
2008-09 | 25,430 | 68,389 | n/a | 93,819 |
2009-10 | 23,979 | 64,431 | n/a | 88,410 |
2010-11 | 28,881 | 55,385 | n/a | 84,266 |
2011-12 | 25,613 | 46,640 | 11,036 | 83,289 |
2012-13 | 30,521 | 47,843 | n/a | 78,364 |
2013-14 | 30,339 | 42,865 | n/a | 73,204 |
2014-15 | 29,296 | 41,308 | n/a | 70,604 |
2015-16 | 32,819 | 41,976 | n/a | 74,795 |
Source: Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development Data Systems, 2006-07 to 2015-16.
Note: Des not include all proactive enforcement activity.
Proactive enforcement strategy
Through Safe At Work Ontario, the ministry provides direction for proactive inspections and develops annual enforcement plans for the industrial, construction, mining and health care sectors. Enforcement strategies are developed using a risk-based process that includes consulting with stakeholders and reviewing sector compliance history, injury and fatality rates and incidents, hazards inherent to the work, vulnerability of the workers, and type and age of the business. These strategies identify the enforcement focus for each sector for the year as well as for provincial and regional enforcement blitzes. Ministry inspectors use these strategies to determine the workplaces where they will conduct an unannounced proactive inspection. Sector strategies are posted on the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development website. The Safe At Work Ontario annual report, published by the ministry, provides information on the results of the ministry’s enforcement activities.
In 2015-16, Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development inspectors conducted 41,976 proactive field visits – up 1.6 percent from the previous year – and issued 84,101 orders for non-compliance including 4,319 stop work orders.
Reactive enforcement
The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development also investigates complaints, work refusals, critical injuries and fatalities reported to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.
In 2015-16, Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development inspectors conducted 32,819 reactive field visits – up 12 percent from the previous year – and issued 42,987 orders for non-compliance including 2,777 stop work orders.
Consult with stakeholders
Ongoing stakeholder engagement is critical to the Safe At Work Ontario strategy. Every year the ministry holds consultations to shape and improve its occupational health and safety compliance strategy and build closer partnerships with its stakeholders. These consultations helps the ministry understand workplace issues and respond quickly to changes in the workforce.
Industrial Program blitzes/initiatives and orders issued
Type of initiative | Initiative name | Field visits | Workplaces visited | Orders and requirements issued | Stop work orders | Orders and requirements per workplace visited | Orders and requirements per field visit |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blitz | New and young workers blitz | 3,396 | 2,704 | 11,470 | 209 | 4.2 | 3.4 |
Blitz | Material handling blitz | 1,224 | 1,014 | 4,393 | 107 | 4.3 | 3.6 |
Blitz | Safe operation of machinery blitz | 1,315 | 1,023 | 4,853 | 125 | 4.7 | 3.7 |
Provincial | Industrial Health and Safety Program new small business registrations and Internal Responsibility System initiative | 3,101 | 2,414 | 8,807 | 89 | 3.6 | 2.8 |
Regional | Building (Residential/Commercial) Property Management (Central East Region) | 53 | 30 | 121 | 1 | 4.0 | 2.3 |
Regional | Holistic Treatment Clinics (Central East Region) | 119 | 70 | 95 | 0 | 1.4 | 0.8 |
Regional | Farming Operations (Central West Region) | 27 | 20 | 36 | 0 | 1.8 | 1.3 |
Regional | Focused compliance of the Internal Responsibility System at workplaces with history of complaints, injuries, and prosecutions (Eastern Region) | 55 | 50 | 177 | 7 | 3.5 | 3.2 |
Regional | Forestry (Northern Region) | 164 | 85 | 67 | 3 | 0.8 | 0.4 |
Regional | Maintenance / shut downs / lockouts (Northern Region) | 4 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 9.0 | 9.0 |
Regional | Falls from ladders (Northern Region) | 21 | 17 | 53 | 3 | 3.1 | 2.5 |
Regional | Small manufacturing (Western Region) | 141 | 117 | 601 | 9 | 5.1 | 4.3 |
Source: Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development Data Systems
Note: Des not include all proactive enforcement activity.
Construction Program blitzes/initiatives and orders issued
Type of initiative | Initiative name | Field visits | Workplaces visited | Orders and requirements issued | Stop work orders | Orders and requirements per workplace visited | Orders and requirements per field visit |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blitz | Struck by hazards blitz | 1,494 | 1,313 | 3,056 | 261 | 2.3 | 2.1 |
Blitz | Trenching hazards blitz | 994 | 862 | 1,683 | 151 | 2.0 | 1.7 |
Blitz | Heavy equipment operation blitz | 1,128 | 967 | 2,321 | 201 | 2.4 | 2.1 |
Provincial | Supervisory awareness of OHS and regulatory duties initiative | 1,919 | 1,590 | 4,601 | 368 | 2.9 | 2.4 |
Provincial | Worker safety on sloped roofs (underground economy/roofing) initiative | 817 | 736 | 2,115 | 143 | 2.0 | 2.6 |
Provincial | Worker material handling practices and ergonomic risks and controls initiative | 1,947 | 1,589 | 4,193 | 297 | 2.6 | 2.1 |
Regional | Housekeeping – Slips, Trips and Falls (Central East Region) | 829 | 559 | 3,291 | 365 | 5.9 | 4.0 |
Regional | Overloading of dump trucks (Central West Region) | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
Regional | Falls from elevations (Central West Region) | 239 | 200 | 757 | 62 | 3.2 | 3.8 |
Regional | Failure to notify requirements under regulation for construction projects Ontario Regulation 213/91 (Eastern Region) | 255 | 239 | 830 | 70 | 3.5 | 3.2 |
Regional | Roll over protective structures (Northern Region) | 18 | 18 | 24 | 1 | 1.3 | 1.3 |
Regional | Electrical contact (Western Region) | 459 | 392 | 922 | 65 | 2.4 | 2.0 |
Source: Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development Data Systems
Note: Des not include all proactive enforcement activity.
Health Care Program blitzes/initiatives and orders issued
Type of initiative | Initiative name | Field visits | Workplaces visited | Orders and requirements issued | Stop work orders | Orders and requirements per workplace visited | Orders and requirements per field visit |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Provincial Blitz | Health care enforcement initiative | 954 | 434 | 2,776 | 28 | 6.4 | 2.9 |
Regional | Focused compliance of safety engineered medical devices at flu clinics (Eastern Region) | 39 | 37 | 78 | 0 | 2.1 | 2.0 |
Source: Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development Data Systems
Note: Des not include all proactive enforcement activity.
Specialized Professional Services blitzes/initiatives and orders issued
Type of initiative | Initiative name | Field visits | Workplaces visited | Orders and requirements issued | Stop work orders | Orders and requirements per workplace visited | Orders and requirements per field visit |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Provincial | Ergonomics initiative | 361 | 266 | 451 | 16 | 1.7 | 1.3 |
Provincial | Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) | 484 | 397 | 272 | 4 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
Provincial | Radiation protection services proactive activities | 426 | 383 | 782 | 7 | 2.0 | 1.8 |
Source: Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development Data Systems
Note: Des not include all proactive enforcement activity.
Mining Program blitzes/initiatives and orders issued
Type of initiative | Initiative name | Field visits | Workplaces visited | Orders and requirements issued | Stop work orders | Orders and requirements per workplace visited | Orders and requirements per field visit |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blitz | Mobile equipment traffic control measures in underground and surface mines blitz | 99 | 85 | 274 | 21 | 3.2 | 2.8 |
Blitz | Modular training in underground and surface mines blitz | 78 | 67 | 192 | 16 | 2.9 | 2.5 |
Blitz | Occupational disease blitz | 59 | 39 | 149 | 9 | 3.8 | 2.5 |
Regional | Focused compliance: failure to notify Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development of crushing activities at surface mining operations (Eastern Region) | 59 | 46 | 160 | 11 | 3.5 | 2.7 |
Regional | Point in time inspections (detailed inspections of the entire mine using a team approach involving mining inspectors, electrical mechanical inspectors, engineers and a regional program coordinator (Northern Region)) | 47 | 4 | 301 | 13 | 75.3 | 6.4 |
Regional | Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) audit of surface and underground mines (Northern Region) | 4 | 3 | 28 | 2 | 9.3 | 7.0 |
Source: Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development Data Systems
Note: Does not include all proactive enforcement activity.
Footnotes
- footnote[1] Back to paragraph Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, 2016. Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development Data Systems. Toronto: Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.